South Sudan launch international debut with Cecafa cups

The latest country to have joined the world’s football governing body is set for its international debut with the Cecafa Cup taking place in Tanzania in July

South Sudan will be participating at this year's East and Central African regional championship, the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup, to mark their debut in an international tournament.

South Sudan are Africa’s newest country and they will be represented by club side Wau Salaam – meaning advocates for peace – in next month’s championship taking place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The Cecafa Cup starts July 14 with about US$600,000 prize at stake and will be sponsored by the football-loving Rwanda President Paul Kagame.

“They have confirmed their participation; they will send a team called Wau Salaam FC," Nicolas Musonye, the secretary general of the regional governing body told the BBC. “We are glad to welcome them as our new members and they have also assured us that their national team will participate in this year's Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup as well."

South Sudan became a member of Fifa in May.

Tanzanian club Simba are the most successful team in the tournament with six titles in their trophy cabinet while Kenyan teams are the most successful overall with 15 titles. Sudan's Merreikh is the only Sudanese team to have won the tournament twice in 1986 and 1994.